But SHHH it's a secret...

What I’m realizing more and more is that I truly love where I live. It took me 22 years to see this and appreciate all the Jersey Shore has given me.

Now before I get into the how’s & why’s, I need to say that New York City has and will always hold a special place in my heart, and traveling has and always will be one of my favorite things to do. But the more I travel the more I miss home and realize (most of the time) my home does it way better than anywhere else. I am the GYPSEA girl- I am always somewhere, but my soul will always be down at the Jersey Shore.

Here's Why:

The Beach

Long Beach Island is legit life. I’m not sure how people can go to Seaside or Point Pleasant or even The Hamptons and overlook such a beautiful adorable beach. Since getting my license at 17, I’ve spent the past 6 years driving to the island whenever I need to just get away from my house for a while. Whenever I’m not working, commuting or sleeping I’m usually on the beach, sitting in my car next to the beach or hanging out at one of the local places grabbing some food with friends. I can easily call up a friend and ask them to come take a ride with me and they instantly know exactly where we’re going: the parking lot in front of the bay across from the beach side in Ship Bottom to (probably) watch the sunset. It’s the fact that I can do this all year round. I can drive 10 minutes up the road and see this beautiful sight even if it’s 30 degrees outside. And frankly, it’s better in the off season because there’s only locals and I can breeze through the island since all the lights are yellow.

No, this isn’t meant to be gimmicky or sale pitchy- it’s the fact that many of us locals take this for granted growing up and I’m stepping in to say ya’ll are lying to yourselves if you say you don’t enjoy it here. As seniors in high school we said over and over again how much we were so excited to get out of the town but we soon realized that things aren’t so bad at home.

The Beer

My wish was granted from up above. There are now two breweries located just minutes away from my home and I could not be more grateful! The Ship Bottom Brewery and Manifirkin are both such fun, great places to go if you’re in the mood to try something new. THE BEER IS GOOD. LIKE REALLY GOOD.

I swear when I turned 21 I think that’s when it hit me. Besides the beach- the amount of fun bars, brewery’s and activities there are to do around here once you’re legal is enormous and amazing. There is always live music and a good crowd where ever you plan to go around the Manahawakin/LBI area.

The Snacks

I am such a fatty for this but my list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention the yummy treats my town has to offer. Shore Good Donuts and Skipper Dipper are just a couple of the mouthwatering one of a kind desserts you can have while living here. No joke, I have literally brought Shore Good Donuts to my job a few times just so I could show everyone how good they really are! [And side note, when you go to Manifirkin, if you’re lucky, you get to have bite of them while you’re drinking your beer- courtesy of the awesome owner]

The Local Shops & Restaurants

I love living in an area where local businesses are encouraged. So many shops and restaurants on the island are locally owned and very successful. Majority of the time I have to steer away from going inside them because I’ll spend all my money if I do. #brokegirlprobz

Island Gypsy & Spotted Whale are two of my favorite shops located on LBI.

Old Causeway and How Ya Brewin are the best and definatly my favorite places for food/drinks (and coffee at How Ya Brewin)

Obviously the Chegg (Chicken or the Egg) is like the best of the best because of how fun the environment is and how good their wing sauces are but if you’re a local reading this then you already know that. Like duh.

The Festivals & Activities

One of my favorite things about where I live is the unique events that happen around here. From hot sauce and surfers to chowder and wine, there is something for everyone.

The festival season has begun for 2017 on Long Beach Island. The first event to happen was the Hop Sauce fest that occurred on June 3rd sponsored by the one and only Jetty! My mouth burns just thinking about it but I have to admit that you can’t find anything like this festival anywhere else. Endless beer and hot sauce samples, live music and local crafters are just a few of the things going on at the event. The locals are of course what make these events, the people of our community are what make it so special…